SSBM Rank 2014 (50-41)

SSBM Rank 2014 (50-41)

For the second straight year, MeleeItOnMe is ranking every SSBM Player and counting them down on Twitter (#SSBMRank2014@Meleeitonme), from No. 100 to No. 1 .

We asked a panel of ~30 players/commentators/figureheads from all across the world to rate the overall level of play for each player in 2014 (From January 2014 –> The Big House 4). This includes evaluating perceived skill in tandem with the tournament results.

Zoso is one of the few melee players that plays with strong fighting game fundamentals and creativity in his decision making. He’s an amazing teacher and continues to provide lessons to new players in the New England region.

Swift has been a solid veteran for years now, with roots in Pittsburgh and current residence in New England. He had very impressive wins, beating Shroomed at Apex 2014 and then Westballz at EVO 2014. Hopefully, people stop ignoring Swift as a tournament threat.

Also known to have a 10 year old alter ego, KoreanDJ has a great grasp of many additional fighting games outside of Melee. His free-flowing style is both flashy and unorthodox, relying on strong reads and throwing his opponent off-guard.

Rank

Jeff “Silentspectre” Leung

Score

47

(51)

Main(s)

Captain Falcon

Region:

Norcal

7.340

Tourney Results

Apex 2014

MLG Anaheim

CEO 2014

Evo 2014

The Big House 4

–

–

–

49th

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Summary:

NorCal staple and 50% of the Wombo Combo, SilentSpectre’s flashy aggression allows him to remain a relevant player in his region, as well as a walking highlight reel. Prepare for something silly or seemingly impossible to happen when Jeff makes an appearance.

Old school Tristate Falco Zanguzen is one of the true OG’s of Melee, famously defeating Mew2King at his first tourney in 2003. He has been making waves since his return to activity, most notably defeating Hax at EVO 2014. His methodical, laser heavy Falco style has proven too much for many players, frequently being able to successfully control the pace of the match to exactly what he wants it to be. His knowledge of old school playstyles and strategies perfectly clashes with the new school, making Zanguzen a very powerful player.

Widely considered the best Ganondorf in the world, Kage’s ferocious combos and intelligence have led him to notable wins, including the infamous double elimination of Mango at Revival of Melee 2 a few years ago. Kage continues to represent Ganondorf at the highest level, and always places highly at tournaments despite his mid tier character.

Rank

David “Darkrain” John

Score

44

(39)

Main(s)

Captain Falcon

Region:

Kansas

7.428

Tourney Results

Apex 2014

MLG Anaheim

CEO 2014

Evo 2014

The Big House 4

–

–

–

25th

25th

Summary:

Darkrain is as essential to Captain Falcon’s game as Isai and Hax, and in his prime he single-handedly developed the read-heavy punish game we know the character for. Although largely inactive, he remains a formidable tournament force; he defeated Silent Wolf in a dramatic set at EVO 2014, where he took 25th overall, and defeated Bizzarro Flame at TBH4, where he also landed in 25th place. At UFGTX, he took 1st place over Kels, Darkatma, and Pikachad, proving himself capable of continuing to dominate the Midwest.

One of Ontario’s top smashers, Weon-X is among the few players whose rank remains roughly the same as last year. Nominally a Fox main, he uses Falco and occasionally Marth to great effect as well. A dominant local player in the Toronto area, he continued to bolster his national resume with a trio of seventh-place finishes at ROM 7, Get On My Level, and Super SWEET. He boasts quality national-level wins over KirbyKaze and ZeRo, among others.

Long time veteran and Mew2King practice partner, Cactuar wields his seasoned Fox and Marth to continue to compete at the highest level of play. Cactuar is currently one of the best players in Pennsylvania, and still occasionally travels back to his home region of Tri-State to let them know he’s still one of the best. Cactuar shows that all his years of practice throughout the several eras of Smash give him a distinct edge over many of his opponents.

Rank

Erick “Lord” Lui

Score

41

(29)

Main(s)

Captain Falcon

Region:

NorCal

7.459

Tourney Results

Apex 2014

MLG Anaheim

CEO 2014

Evo 2014

The Big House 4

–

–

–

49th

–

Summary:

One of the most unorthodox Falcons, Lord aims to please the audience with brilliant hard reads and his world-famous Falcon punches, which he has landed several times versus top players in tourney. He turned heads this year by defeating S2J in an epic Falcon ditto exhibition set at The Next Episode, and followed that up with impressive wins over Flash and Colbol at Do You Fox Wit It?, a recent Norcal regional.

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I am a Melee analyst, journalist, and commentator. I love to write narratives about players and deep analysis of individual matches and rivalries. Creator of the "Zero2Hero" series for Melee to train new players and a regular on the Melee It On Me Podcast

12 Comments

I understand that these players are super hype and cool. But is Darkrain and Silentspectre really top 50 anymore it seems like he is not playing to that ability anymore. Yes they used to be godlike but it seems like they’re really starting to drop off. Who has S.S beating in recent memory

Being the top player in the MW and consistently placing highly at every national he goes to means I disagree with the “Darkrain is irrelevant” camp. Harder to defend, Kage and SilentSpectre, but they’re similarly active in their regions and continue to play at the same high level